Improvement in fire-escape



@aitrh giants gaunt @ffirr.

EDWARD HAWTHORNE, OF MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent MQvaoov, gazed January 7, 1868.

mrnovtnsnr IN FIRE-ESCAPE..-

dike 5:1 am march to in tips itrttert 33mm zmh lltttltittg amt sf tip smite.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HAWTHORNE, of Mountain View, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented an'Improved Fire-Escape, to be known as Hawthornes Nonpareil Fire-Escape; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sufiicient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains, to make and use my said invention or improvementwithout further invention or experiment. i

The nature of my invention is to provide an improved means of escape from burning buildings, to be known as the Nonpareil Fire-Escape.

In order to accomplish this object, I attach, to each side of the easement of a window, upright frames of iron, with transverse arms. 'Across these arms is placed a bar, having a ring in it, to which the lowering-apparatus is attached. The lowering-apparatus consists'of a square frame, with upright rods or posts at each corner, with flat horizontal bars, bolted to the uprights. Midway between the bars, at right angles, is another bar, having a ring in its\centre, through which a rope is placed, connecting the machine to the frame above. The lower portion of the apparatus consists of a fiat bottom, and the upper part is attached to a canvas bag, by means of eyelets, rings, and cords, the apparatus being so arranged as to be lowered by the person occupy ing it. To more fully set forth and explain my apparatus, reference is had to 'the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front view, and

Figure 2 a side elevation. v

a a represent the upright frame, bolted to each side of the window, having arms I) 6 placed transversely across them, which move up and down on a pivot in their ends, and when at right angles they rest in catches a e.- Across the ends of these arms is a bar, 11, with vertical pins, which set in holes in the arms. In the Y centre of the cross-bars is a ring or eyebolt, e, fastened by a bolt, to which a rope is secured, which passes through a corresponding ring orieyeholt on the bar of the basket or car. Allof the parts of this frame should be made of iron, and may be permanently attached to the-sides of the window, and the arms may be turned up to a vertical position, and be 'out of the way when there is no occasion for their use.

' The car or. =baskct A has a square frame, B, strongly bolted together, with upright posts or rods,-

at each corner. Flat bars 9 g are placed across each end of the frame, and bolted to the upright rods. A bar,

G, is placed lengthwise over the car, and is connected to the centre of the end bars g g. Midway on this bar is placed a ring, it, and a cleat, 2', at one side, for holding the car before the descent, with a corresponding cleat, 2', upon the inside of the frame, for the same purpose. The bottom of the car is made of boards, laid flatwise, and a stout canvas or leather bag, D, of about the size of the frame, is connected'to it, by end pieces 7c is, placed in the bag, and secured to the bottom boards by screws, also by cords Z Z l, passing up the sides of the bag, through loops, and attached to rings in the frame. Cords m m are run horizontally along the upper edge of the bag, passing through eyelets and holes made in the frame so as to stoutly attach it at all points. When the car is not in usc, this bag will fold up between the bottom and frame, and will occupy but little space in the. room where it is kept for an emergency. I

The operation is as follows, to wit: The adjustable transverse arms, attached to the iron frame in the .window, are let down into the catches to a horizontal position, and the cross-bar placed in' the holes in their ends, and the car conveyed to the open window, and a rope, with a block, having a long neck, is attached to the eye, on the top of the cross-bar, and confined to the eye or ring of the cross-bar of'the irbn frame above, when the car is lowered a little, and the rope wound'around the cleats on the, cross-bar and frame, to hold-it until it receives the person or inmates of the room, when the rope is removed from the cleats, and 'the car lowered to the ground by the person in it. In order to keep the car from striking the building or projections,

in its descent, an eye, a, is made nearthe edge of the bottom board, in which a rope may be tied, having its end on the'gronnd, so that the car may be drawn away from the building, as it is lowered,

For lowering from bay windows, and avoiding projections incident to such windows, two cranes may be employed, having sliding or extension-armawith an eye in their ends, to which the car'may beattschedi When not in use, these cranes may be turned against the-side of the building By this device, persons in a burning building, cut ofl from the usual escape, may have a ready means to make an exit without injury, as the car can be easily kept in the ioom, as, when folded up, it will occupy but a'small space.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire 1:0 secure by Letters Patent, is-- The apparatus, constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

' EDWARD HAWTHORNE. LL. 5.]

Witnesses:

G. W. M. SMITH, J. L. Boom. 

